PR98045

CHENGDU, China, Sept. 28, 2022 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

The 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Chengdu (hereinafter

referred to as "World Team Table Tennis Championships") will be held in the

western Chinese city of Chengdu on September 30, 2022.

According to the Organising Committee of 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis

Championships Finals Chengdu, the slogan of this tournament "Celebrate Table

Tennis With Chengdu" not only highlights the passion for table tennis in

Chengdu, but also expresses the aspirations of the International Table Tennis

Federation to enhance in-depth exchanges with the city.

Chengdu has forged strong ties with world table tennis competitions. In step

with the positioning of Chengdu into a world-famous city for sport competition,

important events such as China Open and ITTF Women's World Cup have already

been hosted successively by the city. This upcoming World Team Table Tennis

Championships will unequivocally be remembered as another milestone event in

Chengdu.

The tournament will be held from September 30 to October 9 at the Chengdu

High-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium, and this multi-functional gymnasium

completed just last year will usher in its first international sports event.

ITTF President Petra Sorling said, "The most distinguished players in the world

will converge in Chengdu, which is both exhilarating and hard-earned."

To Liu Guoliang, Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis

Federation (ITTF), Director and Chairman of World Table Tennis (WTT) Council

and President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), Chengdu is not

only an acclaimed sports city, it is also a metropolis that merits appreciation

and exploration. He said, "Chengdu is a charming, vogue city that is full of

vibrancy, and one that has garnered the endearments of the Chinese people. With

the presence of the world's top athletes here, table tennis will no doubt

become a new calling card of this time-honored city. Friends from all over the

world who descend on Chengdu can experience the delicious cuisine, enchanting

scenery and warm hospitality that the city offers."

China has previously hosted five World Table Tennis Championships, and this

upcoming tournament marks the first time that the event has come to a city in

West China. Thus, it is with utmost enthusiasm that the exuberant and

hospitable Chengdu welcomes the world's most esteemed table tennis athletes.

Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong will comprise

the Chinese women's table tennis team, while the star-studded lineup of the

Chinese men's table tennis team will consist of Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Liang

Jingkun, Wang Chuqin and Lin Gaoyuan. Members of both teams are eager to win

the Swaythling Cup and the Corbillon Cup for the 22nd time.

As a world-renowned city of gastronomy, Chengdu is particularly appealing to

Fan Zhendong, the celebrated table tennis athlete who is also described as a

foodie. He laughed and said, "After the tournament, I really hope I get the

chance to enjoy the wide range of delicious foods that Chengdu is so well-known

for."

But flavorful and delightful food is by no means the only thing worth savoring

in Chengdu. Accompanying the hosting of major international sports events such

as the World Table Tennis Championships and World University Games, the city's

environment for fitness and exercise has been endowed with a strengthened

foundation conducive to further growth. The city of Chengdu is vigorously

radiating the vitality of sports with a multitude of new sports arenas and

spaces including all kinds of gymnasiums, greenways, parks and community sport

corners. In 2021, the total number of citizens regularly participating in

physical exercises in Chengdu reached nine million. Large sports venues such as

Dong'an Lake Sports Park and Fenghuangshan Sports Park constitute the

"landmarks" shared among citizens.

At present, Chengdu is home to over 59,000 sports venues of various sorts, and

citizens can get into the full swing of health and fitness with just a few

steps. The fervent rise in popularity of a variety of sports including table

tennis, basketball, tennis, ice hockey, three-on-three football, skateboarding,

frisbee have enhanced Chengdu's urban sport atmosphere, consequently enabling

the city to rank first in the evaluation of public sports service quality in

China.

The fact that the design of the medals of this tournament have been inspired by

the giant panda, a unique feature of Chengdu, has further raised the

expectation of participating athletes. The medals will incorporate the cute

giant panda with the traditional jade pendant design and the silhouette of the

table tennis paddle, conveying to the world the cultural characteristics of

Chengdu and the charms and essences of Chinese heritage.

Source: The Organising Committee of 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis

Championships Finals Chengdu